The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has reduced 283 seats for MBBS and BDS in government medical colleges and universities shattering hundreds of students’ dreams of becoming doctors, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

The report is surely bad news for students seeking admissions to government medical colleges and universities.

For the current admission year, Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has reduced 267 MBBS and 16 BDS seats including 62 seats of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Medical College.

The PMC also reduced 75 seats each in Nishtar and Punjab Medical Universities while Quaid-e-Azam Medical College also lost 25 seats.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on January 21 dismissed a petition seeking annulment of the Pakistan Medical Commission Act 2020 and Regulations, ruling that the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) was as per law and mandatory for becoming a doctor.

Justice Jawadul Hassan issued a 20-page verdict on the request of Apwa Medical College which stated, “No private college will induct students without the MDCAT test and MCAT is absolutely legal as per the Section 18 of the PMC.”